Drying and mixing mechanism



Feb. 2, 1937. L. w. MEYER DRYING AND MIXING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

U211" I71 Zkleyer 4/1 M Io BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to drying and mixing mechanisms and structures; and its object is, generally, to provide such a mechanism and structure improve-d in respects hereinafter appearing; and. more particularly, to provide such a structure comprising a hollow rotatable cylindrical element having a port or ports through its side for introduction of the material operated on provided with outwardly extending thimbles or channel members; and a coaxial member through which the material passes, spacedly surrounding said element and comprising upper and lower separable sections or halves.

These and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the illustrative structure and mechanism particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevational side view of middle portions of a structure and mechanism for drying or mixing materials;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof sectioned horizontally on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are transaxial sectional views of the same taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing the cylindrical element in difierent turned positions respectively and Figure 5 showing the upper half of its surrounding member in raised position;

Figure 6 is a View in perspective of one of the thimble or channel members of the cylindrical element.

The structure illustrated by these drawings includes a long hollow cylindrical element I (only a short middle portion whereof is shown) mounted for rotation, as on the supporting pairs of rollers 2, about an approximately horizontal axis sufficiently inclined vertically to facilitate the passage therethrough of the material operated on; and includes also a circular member 3 surrounding and spaced from the cylindrical element and comprising separable upper and lower sections or halves 4, 5 detachably connected as by threaded bolts 6 extending through the flanges 1, 8 of said halves.

This cylindrical element is a metallic outer shell 9 with a lining Ill of brick or the like, and has a port, or as illustrated a plurality of angularly spaced ports H, extending through the side of said element whereby the material is introduced into its interior. Each of these ports contains a metallic thimble or member designated generally l2 forming a channel or passage from the exterior to the interior of the cylindrical element and extending outwardly therefrom. Said member !2 has a rear wall l3 lining the rear side of the port, side walls l4 lining the lateral sides of the port, a front wall I5 lining the forward side of the port and an outer wall it extending forwardly to a front edge IT.

The side walls I4 desirably curve from each other toward their forward ends so as to more effectively receive the material falling into the channel members from the chute l8, and the channel members are desirably laterally wider at their intake outer ends than at their inner ends as indicated in Figure 6.

Each of these channel members [2 is securely held in place in the port by a rear flange 19 and side flanges 2B engaging the outer side of the shell 9, a rear flange 2i and side flanges 22 en-- gaging between said shell and its lining ID, a rear flange 23 and side flanges 24 engaging the inner side of said lining, and front flanges 25, 26 engaging said lining between them. The member 3 surrounding the cylindrical element extends axially between its annular shoulders 2'! far enough to cover the intake ends of the channels 14, and the upper half 4 of said member has a downwardly extending chute it through which the material passes into the intake ends of the channel members I2 and therethrough into the interior of the cylindrical member. The outer edges of the channel members side walls i4 and its outer wall l6 are in contacting or closely ad- .jacent relation with the inner surface of the surrounding member 3 in the rotation of the cylindrical element so that the material passes into these channel members and not into the space between said element and the surrounding member.

To permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the cylindrical element l its surrounding member 3 is provided with rolls 28 supported on an axially extending track 29 carried by a base 30 suitably braced as shown. To permit cleaning of the cylindrical element, the upper half 4 of the surrounding member -3 may be disconnected and raised to the position seen in Figure 5, as by a cable connected to the eye sired, may be employed to heat the cylindrical element l as a rotating kiln to dry the material therein; any suitable means or power may be applied to said element to rotate it, as the shaft 34 having the gear 35 meshing with said elements gear 38; and any suitable means may be used for conveying the material into the chute.

It will be seen that a mass of material for making cement or the like may be dehydrated, or a mass of wet grain or the like may be dried, and that materials of different kinds may be thoroughly mixed by passing the same through this rotating cylindrical element.

Narrow semicircular flanges 3! extending inwardly from the inner surface of the halves 4, 5 respectively of the circular member 3, on opposite sides of the outwardly extending portion of the thimbles and close thereto are shown in Figure 5, to direct the material into the ports and prevent the same from spreading out in the axial direction of the machine and along said members inner surface.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. A mechanical organization comprising, in

' combination: a hollow cylindrical element mounted for rotation about its approximately horizontal axis, having a port through its side; a circular member surrounding the sides of said element, spaced therefrom and comprising separable sections one of which has an opening; a thimble fixed in the port affording communication between said opening and the interior of said element and extending outwardly into close relation with the inner surface of said member.

2. A mechanical organization comprising, in combination: a hollow cylindrical element including an outer shell portion and a lining portion, mounted for rotation about its approximately horizontal axis and having a port through its side; a circular member surrounding the sides of said element spaced therefrom and having an opening; a thimble in the port having flanges respectively engaging the outer side of the shell, the inner side of the lining and between the shell and the lining respectively for fixing the thimble in the port and securing the shell and the lining together, the thimble affording communication between said opening and the interior of said element and extending outwardly into close relation with the inner surface of said member.

3. A mechanical organization comprising, in combination: a hollow cylindrical element mounted for rotation about its approximately horizontal axis, having a port through its side; a circular member surrounding the sides of said element, spaced therefrom and having an opening; a thimble fixed in the port affording communication between said opening and the interior of said element and extending outwardly into close relation with the inner surface of said member, the circular member having flanges extending inwardly from its inner surface on the opposite sides respectively of the extending thimble and adjacent thereto.

LOUIS W. MEYER. 

